Fiji soccer history 1980–1989: A philosophical and sociological analysis

Figures & data

Figure 1. Map of Fiji.

Figure 2. Lautoka City Centre Map. (Showing Churchill Park and Namoli Village).

Figure 3. Henry Dyer (left) and ex-Lautoka star Wally Mausio @Lautoka Club, 2014.

Table 1. List of interviewees and the matches in which they played

No.	Name	Team	Interview date	1982 IDC final	1985 v N.U.	1988 v Aus.
1	Raymond Fong	Nadi MD^a	24-07-2014	N/A	N/A	N/A
2	Bobby Tikaram	Nadi VP^b	14-08-2014	N/A	N/A	N/A
3	Henry Dyer	Nadi & Fiji^c	Various	√	√	x
4	Meli Vuilabasa	Ba & Fiji	02-06-2015	√	√	√
5	Inia Bola	Ba & Fiji	17-06-2015	√	x	x
6	Semi Tabaiwalu	Ba & Fiji	20-06-2015	√	x	x
7	Savenaca Waqa	Nadi & Fiji	27-08-2015	√	√	x
8	Julie Sami	Ba & Fiji	01-10-2015	√	x	x
9	Lote Delai	Ba & Fiji^d	15-10-2015	x	x	√
10	Pravin Sharma	FGWU^d	15-10-2015	N/A	N/A	N/A

^aDr Raymond Fong was Nadi Soccer Association’s official Medical Doctor in 1982. As at 2015, he was working as a General Practitioner on Ashram Road, Nadi Town Centre.

^bMr Bobby Tikaram was Nadi Soccer Association Vice-President in 1982 under the leadership of the then president, the late Mr Sri V. Chetty. As at 2014–2015, Tikaram was retired from the workforce and lived near Nadi Town.

^cHenry Dyer also played for Lautoka Blues in the mid-1980s in between his two stints with Nadi. He was raised in Lautoka City and attended Drasa Avenue School and Ba Provincial Secondary School. His first senior club game was for Bobby Tikaram’s Airport Soccer Club in the Nadi Association against Blues Soccer Club around 1980–1981. In 2014–2015 Dyer was serving as assistant headman and village council member at Nakavu Village, Nadi Town.

^dMr Pravin Sharma was the president of the Fiji General Workers’ Union (FGWU) as at October 2015; Lote Delai worked for Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) (Ba) and hence was then represented by Sharma in regards to workplace issues. The views of Sharma and Delai expressed at our interview do not necessarily represent the views of FSC or FGWU.

Figure 4. Prince Charles Park, Nadi Town, 2014.

Table 2. Penalty shootout results, 1982 IDC final. (Source: Fiji Times; various interviews)

Number	Nadi player	Result	Ba player	Result
1	Peter Dean	√	Ilisone Nale	√
2	Emasi “Bacardi” Koroi	x	Jone Nakosia	√
3	Rusiate Waqa	x	Meli Vuilabasa	x
4	Marika Ravula	√	Inia Bola	x
5	Shiu Naicker	√	Julie Sami	√
6	Henry Dyer	√	Kini Mocelutu	√
7	Manu Pokar	√	Semi Tabaiwalu	√
8	Mohd. Hussein	√	Vimlesh Singh	√
9	Inosi Tora	x	Bale Raniga (GK)	x
10	Tela Qoro	x	Rupeni Soro	x

√ denotes successful penalty kick, x denotes unsuccessful kick.

Figure 5. Henry Dyer in Ba Town.

Figure 6. Henry Dyer at Ba's Govind Park ground, Ba Town.

Table 3. Fiji versus Australia, Prince Charles Park, Nadi, 26 November 1988 (WCQ)

Fiji (0) 1	Australia (0) 0
Ravuama Madigi 67.
Fiji: Nasoni Buli, Abraham Watkins, Pita Dau (Shafiq Ali), Dan Lutumailagi, Lote Delai, Maritino Nemani, Meli Vuilabasa, Vimal Sami, Ivor Evans, Simon Peters, Jone Watisoni (Ravuama Madigi).	Australia: Jeff Olver, Graham Jennings, Charlie Yankos, Garry McDowall, Gary van Egmond, Mike Petersen (Joe Palatsides), Oscar Crino, Alan Davidson, Scott Ollerenshaw, Graham Arnold, Warren Spink (Steve Maxwell).
Venue: Prince Charles Park, Nadi.
Referee: Gary Fleet (New Zealand).
Crowd: 8,000.
Coach: Billy Singh (Fiji).	Frank Arok (Australia).

Sources: Gabriel Singh, “Ba magic lifts Fiji to victory”, Fiji Times, Monday, 28 November (1988), 32; and Ozfootball.net.